1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a camera hand grip for separable connection to a camera of the hand held type.
Such a hand grip which is separably connected to the camera serves to facilitate handling of the camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the case of known hand grips of this type, the grip is adapted in its form to a specific camera position which is ideal for photography, so that the grip fits easily into the hand so that hand grip and camera can be held for a relatively long period without fatigue, and thus without risk of wobble.
However, when a photograph is being taken, some cameras, e.g. mirror reflex cameras with a ground glass indirect and a direct-vision viewfinder, have to be held in different positions. A camera with a direct-vision viewfinder must be lifted directly to the eye so that an ergonometrically favorable supporting of the camera is possible only if the grip is disposed underneath the camera body. In the case of cameras with an indirect-vision viewfinder, on the other hand, the user must be able to look down onto the camera body from above. In such a case, it is only possible for the camera to be ergonometrically held if the hand grip is so disposed on the camera body that the grip is located at the side of the camera body. Left-handed camera users prefer the grip to be disposed on the left beside the camera body while right-handed camera users ask for the grip to be located on the right of the camera body (in either case looking in the direction of the object to be photographed).
For each way of holding the camera, practice hitherto has been to use a specially adapted camera hand grip in which case the particular design of the grip offers ergonomically optimum operation in the associated camera position.
A camera hand grip has already been suggested which has a grip disposed laterally alongside the camera body when the hand grip is fixed to the camera. The grip itself can be fixed on the camera body by means of a connecting element separably fixed thereto. The camera release is located on the front face of the grip and must be operated by the thumb. This means it is possible to attach the hand grip to the camera body in two different positions, whereby the grip is on the right in one position and on the left of the camera body in the other position. This hand grip can therefore, in the case of a camera which has an indirect-vision viewfinder, be used by both the left-handed and also the right-handed camera user, although certainly operation of the release button with the thumb instead of the normally customary operation of the camera release with the index finger, compels the camera user to an initially disturbing change of habit. However, this hand grip can no longer be used if the camera user wishes to use the camera which--as is already conventional nowadays--is additionally equipped with a direct-vision viewfinder, to take a photograph in a position which makes it possible to use the ground glass indirect-vision viewfinder. In this case, the camera user is compelled completely to remove the hand grip and either to hold the camera by the camera body or to equip himself with a further camera hand grip for the purpose.